Basic Pouring Materials and Instruments of the Pour

Pour painting enthusiasts are coming up with new types of pours all the time.  Below are some basic materials for pouring, as well as, “instruments” or tools of the trade that can be used for various pour techniques.

Basic Pouring Materials 

• Acrylic Paint
• Pouring medium, Floetrol or glue and water
• Torch or heat gun
• Canvas or wood board
• Cups
• Pour Box or Silicone mat or other painting surface protection
• Finishes-epoxy resin, varnish, poly acrylic or spray varnish
• Gloves
• Pallet knife or other spreader
• Bottles (for paint storage)
• Silicone oil for making cells
• Tape-for back of canvas for neatness
• Level
• Stirrers-popsicle sticks, silicone sticks, skewers, etc.
• Tweezers -to pull gunk out of paint on canvas (it happens)
• Paper towels or rags
• Large push pins or paint legs to raise canvas

 Tools for different paint pour techniques

• Funnel-for funnel pours
• Split cup-can be created out of a cup and dividers or bought commercially with 2 or more compartments so that different paint colors can be poured simultaneously
• Dessert cup-for reverse cup pours (can also use the bottom of a plastic bottle)
• Hair comb (wide toothed) -can be used to apply silicone oil in rows
• Skewer-used to segment puddle pours usually to make flowers or other designs
• Colander-used in a colander pour
• Sink Drainer–Used in a drainer pour usually to make flower designs
• Pallet knife-used to spread your paint on the canvas and for wave pours or other intensional pours
• Cookie Cutters-for open cup and lifting pours (galaxy look)
• Spinner/Lazy Susan-for pours that ice spinning to spread the paint to the edges
• Bottles and Syringes -for precision
• Silicone Oil-for cell formation
• Cups -for open cup pours, flip cups, rings pours and really most pouring styles
• Swiping tool- Transparency film plastic wrap or card stock 
• Chain or string-for chain or string pull 

For Air Based Pours

• Straws
• Hairdryer
• Air brush pen (cordless is awesome)
• Canned air or electronics cleaner
• Mini blower
• Your mouth

You really can use anything to do paint pouring techniques.  Be innovative.  You might just discover a whole new pouring technique!